Computing devices, particularly handheld and portable devices, have evolved to include numerous types of communication capabilities and functionality. For example, handheld devices exist that operate as cellular phones, messaging terminals, Internet devices, while including personal information management (PIM) software and photo-management applications. Additionally, Internet Protocol services exist that can transform Internet-enabled machines into telephony devices. Even stand-alone telephones that connect to traditional Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) are including more software to enhance the telephone's functionality.
In enhancing communication capabilities and functionality, effort has been made to enhance and assist the user in using such devices. For example, software features exist to facilitate the ease in which the user can act on a phone number in an email message. A sequence of phone numbers can be presented to a user for selection, and upon such selection being made, a telephony application uses the phone number in making a phone call. Small form-factor computing devices, such as devices that provide cellular phone functionality, have particular use for such short-cut functionality, in order to reduce the manual involvement of the user. These devices have smaller keyboards that may be harder to operate, and/or use in mobile or dynamic environments, where the user cannot readily retrieve a desired number.
Telephony devices are just one type of communication device. There are now many types of communication types, and multi-functional devices exist to accommodate the different communication types. Examples of communication types other than telephony include email, instant message (including SMS protocol messages and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol messages), and video conferencing. Many computing devices, particularly smart phones, are enabled to support communications using multiple communication mediums.
Because mobile computing devices are often small and carried in the person's pocket, purse or other similar medium, the mobile computing devices typically enable key-guard features to prevent inadvertent use of the device. For example, cellular telephones sometimes employ a key-guard feature as a software control mechanism, where the device must first be unlocked by the user entering a specific combination of two or more keys. Once unlocked, the user is then able to use a dialpad or keypad. While key-guards can be effective in preventing inadvertent entry of keys from the dialpad or keypad, they are also inconvenient. For example, a user who would otherwise normally have to enter 7 keys to dial a phone number may have to press 9 keys to unlock and then dial.